Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
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These Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies filled with raspberry jam are a holiday cookie staple! They’re easy to make and require zero chill time!
Every December for as long as I can remember, my mom has made these Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies for Christmas. They’re so buttery and ridiculously easy to make! We love raspberry jam but they can be filled with whatever flavor jam your heart desires!
More Holiday Cookie Recipes
- Easy Gingerbread Cookies
- Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Blossom Cookies
- Matcha Christmas Tree Cookies
Ingredient Breakdown
All-purpose flour – this gives the cookies structure.
Butter – provides flavor and structure. I always recommend using unsalted butter but salted butter works if that’s all you have on hand, just be sure to omit the 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Do not use cold or melted butter.
Granulated sugar – sweetens cookies.
Vanilla extract and salt – enhances flavor. Always use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation for best flavor.
Raspberry Jam – my favorite jam to fill these thumbprint cookies with is raspberry but you can use whatever jam you like best or you can even fill them with lemon curd!
How To Make Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
1. Make the Shortbread Dough: In a small bowl whisk all-purpose flour and salt. Set aside.
2. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy then add the vanilla extract.
3. Add the dry ingredients all at once then mix on low speed until just combined.
4. Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll into balls then place onto the lined baking sheets. Use the back of a 1/2 teaspoon to make an indent in each cookie dough ball then fill with jam.
5. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned.
6. Make the Vanilla Icing: In a small bowl combine the confectioners’ sugar, water and vanilla extract then drizzle over cooled cookies. Store Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature.
Pro Tips For Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Don’t over mix the dough! Only mix until the dry ingredients are just combined. Over mixing = more gluten development which means tough cookies. We don’t want any tough cookies here!
- Bake one tray at a time on the middle oven rack. This ensures that there is even heat circulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Make Shortbread Cookie Dough In Advance?
Yes! Once you make this shortbread cookie dough you can either refrigerate it for up to 3 days wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or freeze it for up to 3 months wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed in a zip-top bag.
Why Is Shortbread called Shortbread?
Shortbread gets its name from its crumbly texture which is a result of the dough’s high fat content. The traditional ratio for shortbread is 1:2:3 (one part sugar to two parts butter to three parts flour).
What’s the difference between sugar cookies And Shortbread?
Unlike sugar cookies, shortbread is made without eggs or any leavening agents. Shortbread also has a more crumbly texture as a result of the dough’s high fat content. If you’re looking for sugar cookie recipes try my Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies or Sugar Cookies with Hershey Kisses.
My Favorite Cookie Tools
- Kitchen scale I love this scale, I’ve been using it for years!
- Stand Mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie scoop
If you try this recipe then please leave a rating/comment below to let me know how you liked it and feel free to ask any recipe questions you may have! 🙂
Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
- Baking sheets
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Cookie scoop (I use a 1 tablespoon scoop)
Ingredients
Shortbread Dough
- 300 g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 226 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 160 g (1/2 cup) raspberry jam
Vanilla Icing
- 120 g (1 cup) confectioners' sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Shortbread Dough
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a small bowl whisk all-purpose flour and salt. Set aside.
- Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy then add the vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients all at once then mix on low speed until just combined.
- Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll into balls then place onto the lined baking sheets. Use the back of a 1/2 teaspoon to make an indent in each cookie dough ball then fill with jam.
- Bake cookies for 15 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned.
Vanilla Icing
- In a small bowl combine the confectioners' sugar, water and vanilla extract then drizzle over cooled cookies.
Notes
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter. You can use salted butter, just be sure to omit the 1/2 tsp salt.
- Store Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature.
- Nutrition: the provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Please read my Nutrition Disclaimer for more information.
I turned them into almond shortbread cookies by splitting the extracts. Rolling them in egg whites then crushed almonds and filling the center with almond frosting. I did not change the recipe only added my almond craving to the cookies. Excellent
Hi Carri, that sounds absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for trying the recipe.
These were delicious! I only cooked them for 10 or so minutes though, so that they were just cooked to the point of perfectly soft and moist and melt-in-your-
-mouth doneness 😍
Thanks for trying the recipe, Piper! I’m so glad to hear that you liked these cookies. 🙂
In your recipe it says 226 g 1 cup of softened butter, but 1 cup is 250 grams. Is it an error??
Hi Jas, that was not an error. 1 cup of softened butter is 226 grams. 🙂
Sorry, I replied to the wrong person.
1 cup of butter weighs half a pound (454g) = 227g.
So good!
Thanks Sharon!
These cookies were delicious! I made half of them with raspberry jam and the other half with apricot preserves.
Thanks Isabelle! That sounds super yummy!!
Such a great recipe! I baked the cookie dough and then added lemon curd to the middles for a fresh summery taste! They were like little buttercups 🙂 Delish! Thank you!!
Kenzie, that sounds delicious! Thank you so much for trying the recipe!!